Parcel bag



W. SIMPSON PARCEL BAG July 25, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 22, 1948 y 1950 w. SIMPSON 2,516,266

PARCEL BAG Filed May 22, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 25, 1950 PARCEL BAG William Simpson, Schenectady, N. Y., assignor to Cohoes Envelope Company, Inc., Cohoes, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application May 22, 1948, Serial No. 28,655

3 Claims. (Cl. 22954) This invention relates to handled parcel bags made from flexible sheet material such as paper or the like, and particularly to a paper parcel bag of the type disclosed in the Lackey Patent No. 2,062,318, wherein the back wall'of the bag is provided with an extension constituting a closure flap and both bag walls are provided with complemental handle members having registering finger openings.

In bags of this type as presently constructed, three sequential steps are necessary for properly closing and locking the bag, viz., first, the closure flap is folded down over the upper edge of the front wall of the bag to close the bag mouth; second, the handle member carried by the front wall of the bag is folded upwardly over a reduced portion of said closure flap to lock said flap closed and bring its finger opening into registration with the finger .opening of the handle member carried by the back wall of the bag; and third. a locking tongue integral with said last-named handle member and coextensive with the finger opening thereof is inserted through the finger opening of the upwardly bent handle member to lock both handle members together and form an arched finger grip.

The general object of my invention is to so design the bag as to eliminate one of these steps and thereby enable the bag to be locked closed in carrying position in two steps.

Other objects and advantages will appear as this description proceeds.

In accordance with my invention, the bag is so made that the handle members on the front and back walls of the bag are positioned opposite to each other with their finger openings in registration so that when the closure flap is folded down over the bag mouth it is held in folded position by one of the handle members, and the bag may be locked closed by simply inserting the locking tongue of one handle member through the registering finger opening of the complemental member.

In the accompanying drawings wherein I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of my invention:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my bag in open condition before it is locked in closed carrying position.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view of my bag showing the position of the closure flap and handle members as the bag is delivered from the machine.

Figure 3 is a section on the line 8-3 of Fig. 2.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the position the parts assume after the first step in the operation of closing the bag.

Figure 5 is a section on the line 6--5 of Fig. 4.

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figs. 2 and 4 showing the position the parts assume after the second and final step in the operation of closing the bag, and

Figure 7 is a section on the line l| of Fig. 6.

My bag consists of opposite front and back walls l0 and II, respectively, which are glued or otherwise secured together along their longitudinal edges I2 to provide a closed-bottom, openmouth bag or like container, which, if desired, may be of the bellows type. Preferably although not necessarily, my bag is made from a single web of paper or other sheet material folded upon itself to provide the closed bottom.

At its mouth, one wall of the bag, here shown as the rear wall II, is extended beyond the front wall Hi to provide a closure fiap I4 adapted to be folded over along the indicated line of fold l5 upon the upper edge of the front wall to close the bag mouth. Centrally of its length, the closure flap I4 is cut away along the curved line l6 and has glued or otherwise afiixed to its inner face a reinforcing piece I! of cardboard or the like. Reinforcement I1 is extended a substantial distance over the inner face of the rear wall toward the bottom of the bag, as indicated at 18 in Fig. 1, and it and the underlying material of the closure flap M are out along a curved line I9 which begins adjacent the fold line I! and is reversed to the curved line It. There is thus provided a relatively narrow reinforced connecting web 20 and a reinforced handle member 2|. Handle member 2| is cut out to form a finger opening 22, the material of the cut-out being left as a locking tongue 23 attached to said handle member along one edge of the cut-out and preferably scored as at 24 to facilitate folding.

Glued or otherwise affixed to the irfiier face of the front wall III of the bag opposite the handle member 2| is a reinforcement 25 of cardboard or the like. Wall l0 and reinforcement 25 are slit as at 26 along their opposite longitudinal edges on inwardly slanting lines to provide a reinforced handle member 21 which is foldable along the indicated line of fold 28. The inwardly slanting lines 26 on which the reinforced handle member 21 is formed provide a clearance between the closure flap I4 and the edges of the handle member 21 during a part of the bag closing operation. Handle member 21 is slightly higher or deeper than the complemental reinforced handle member 2l, so that when the front and back walls It and II respectively are in the position shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the free end of the handle member 21 overlaps the reinforced connecting web 20 for a slight distance, as indicated at Ma in said Figs. 2 and 3. When the closure flap H is swung upwardly as viewed in Fig. 2 on the line of fold ii in the first step of closing my bag, the overlapped portion of the connecting web 20 engages the under surface of the handle member 21 and automatically pivots said handle member 21 outwardly about the line of fold 28. The cut edges then separate, the wall l remains flat and undisturbed, and the web 20 pushes the handle 2! out of the way and slides upon it until the web 20 with the flap I4 is completely overfolded and lies flat. When freed of its engagement with the connecting web 20, the handle member 21, because of its inherent resiliency tends to return to its original position, but with the connecting web 20 now lodged in an intermediate position concealed behind the same, as shown in Fig. 4.

Handle member 21 is provided with a finger opening 29 adapted to register with the finger opening 22 and adapted to receive the locking tongue 23 when the bag is locked in closed position.

To lock my bag after a parcel has been placed therein, and assuming the parts of the bag to be then disposed as shown in Fig. 1, the front wall In is moved into engagement with the back wall ii, and as the first step in the locking operation, the user folds the closure flap I along the fold line l over upon the outer face of the front wall In. In this action the web 20 of said flap l4 engages the overlapping portion of the handle member 21 and automatically swings such member about the line of fold 28 until said web is disposed under said handle member 21 and the flap is in engagement with the outer face of the front wall.

Asthe second and final step, the user forces the locking tongue 23 through the finger opening 29 in the handle member 21, and upwardly parallel to and in locking engagement with the outer face of said handle member 21, as clearly shown in Figs. 6 and 7.

In my improved bag therefore, but two steps are necessary to close and lock the bag, viz.,

1. Fold the closure fiap ll into position to close the mouth of the bag, thereby automatically raising handle member 21 by means of the web 2|! until said web has passed under said handle member, and

2. Force the locking tongue 23 through the finger opening 29 of handle member 21 and bend it upwardly into locking engagement therewith.

While I have described and illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention it will be understood that the construction shown may be modified in various minor details without departing from the scope of my invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A parcel bag comprising front. and back walls joined together to provide a closed-bottom, open-mouth container, a closure flap at the upper edge of the back wall adapted to be folded over the upper edge of the front wall to close the bag mouth, ,complemental handle members carried by said bag walls adjacent their upper edges and each having a finger opening, the handle member carried by said back wall having a looking tongue to be inserted through the finger opening of the handle member carried by said front wall and said handle members being positioned opposite one another in slightly overlapping relation and with their finger openings in registration, the handle member on said rear wall having cuts at each side so that in the single step of overfolding the closure flap to close the bag mouth said flap will engage the handle member carried by said front wall and separate the edges of the cuts a distance sufficient to permit contacting portion of said flap to move under said handle member after which the bag may be locked closed by forcing the locking tongue of the handle member carried by said back wall through the finger opening of the handle member carried by said front wall and into locking engagement therewith whereby the bag is closed and locked in two steps, the side edges of the handle member carried by the front wall are cut on inwardly slanting lines to provide clearance between the closure fiap and said handle member during the step of overfolding said flap.

2. A parcel bag comprising front and back walls joined together to provide a closed-bottom, open-mouth container, a closure fiap at the upper edge of the back extending across the width of the bag, the intermediate portion of the closure flap being cut away at each side to form a connecting web between the outer side portions thereof, said closure flap adapted to be folded over the upper edge of the front wall of the bag to close the mouth of the bag, complemental handle members carried by said bag walls adjacent their upper edges and each having a finger opening, the handle member carried by said front wall slightly overlapping the connecting web at the intermediate portion of the closure flap and having a cut at each side to permit pivotal movement of the handle with respect to the front wall, and one of the handle members having a locking tongue adapted to be inserted through the finger opening of the other handle member, and said handle members being positioned opposite one another with their finger openings in registry so that in the single step of overfolding the closure flap to close the bag mouth the connecting web of said flap will engage with and pivot the handle member carried by said front wall a distance sufiicient to permit said web to move under said handle member after which the bag may be locked closed by forcing said locking tongue through the finger opening of the other handle member into locking engagement therewith whereby the bag is closed and locked in two steps, the side edges of the handle member carried by the front wall are cut on inwardly slanting lines to-provide clearance between the connecting web of' said closure flap and said handle member during the step of overfolding said flap.

3. A parcel bag comprising front and back walls joined together to provide a closed-bottom, openmouth container, a closure flap at the upper edge of the back wall adapted to be folded along a fold line over the upper edge of the front wall to close the bag mouth, complemental handle members carried by said bag walls adjacent their upper edges and each having a. finger opening, the handle member carried by said back wall having a locking tongue hinged at said fold line to be insertedthrough the finger opening of the handle member carried by said front wall and said handle members being positioned opposite one another in slightly overlapping relation and with their finger openings in registration so that 5 in the single step of over-folding the closure flap to close the bag mouth said flap will engage the handle member carried by said front wall a distance sumcient to permit contacting portion of said flap to move under said handle member after which the bag may be locked closed by forcing the locking tongue of the handle member carried by said back well through the finger opening of the handle member carried by said front wall and into locking engagement therewith whereby the has is closed and locked in two steps, the side edges of the handle member carried by the front wall are cut on inwardly slanting lines separat- REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: V

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,234,180 Lackey et a]. Mar. 11, 1941 2,500,848 McMillan Mar. 14, 1950 

